Who Is Jesus to You? Moving Beyond a Kindergarten Faith

Everyone comes to church with a different Jesus in their heart and mind. While there is only one true Jesus—God manifest in the flesh—the question remains: who is He to you personally? This isn't about what the world says about Jesus, but about your individual relationship with Him.

What Did People Think About Jesus?

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, crowds gathered and people were asking, "Who is this?" The biblical answer recorded was simple: "That's the prophet from Galilee." To them, He was just another prophet in a long line of prophets that Israel had known for a thousand years.

Prophets had always come and gone. They lived, spoke God's word, performed their ministry, and then died. Their impact lessened because they were no longer present. Maybe Jesus was just another good prophet, another good man—but not the Son of God.

How Do You See Jesus in Your Life?

There's a growing, progressive relationship available with God. You can start not knowing God at all, then begin to understand He's something special. From there, you can realize He's a friend—the Bible calls Him "a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

But Jesus didn't come just to be a prophet or even just a friend. He came to be your Savior, your King, your God. During His final week on earth, while knowing He would soon face crucifixion, Jesus spent His time healing bodies, touching lives, and changing hearts. He calmed storms, freed the demon-possessed, healed the sick, and raised the dead.

Who Do You Know That Can Raise the Dead?

When Jesus called Lazarus from the grave after four days of death, the disciples were dumbfounded. They had walked with Jesus, eaten with Him, heard Him pray, yet they still didn't fully understand who He was. Even when facing a storm on the sea, they panicked and asked if He cared that they were perishing.

This reveals that you can be close to Jesus physically yet still not know Him as your personal God, Savior, and King.

Don't Stay in Kindergarten Faith

Many people get stuck in a kindergarten level of faith. Just as a kindergartner doesn't understand the complexities of life, some believers never mature in their relationship with God. They remain at a basic level, never discovering the depth of who God is and what He can do.

God wants you to grow "line upon line, precept upon precept." There's so much more to discover about His character, His power, and His love for you personally.

He's Not Just "A" God—He's "Your" God

The difference is crucial. He's not the preacher's God or the church's God that you visit occasionally. He wants to be YOUR God—the one you pray to when troubles come, when bills can't be paid, when storms rage in your life.

When you pray, you should be able to talk to Him with authority, knowing Him as your Creator, your Alpha and Omega, your beginning and end. He's the one who loves you so much that He died on the cross to pay for your sins and wash them away in His blood.

Building a Deeper Relationship Takes Time

Just like a marriage grows deeper over decades, your relationship with God develops through experiences—both trials and blessings, heartaches and joys. You learn to trust Him more as you walk through life together.

God came down in the cool of the day to meet with Adam and Eve. That's the kind of relationship He wants with all of us—intimate, personal, conversational. He wants to sit with you, talk with you, and have a real relationship with you.

Don't Keep God at a Distance

Many people are afraid to open up and truly know a God who loves them that much. They keep God small, keep Him away, afraid of the intimacy He desires. But He's calling you into a deeper relationship where you can know Him as your personal Lord, Savior, King, and friend.

How to Grow in Your Relationship with God

Pay attention to how you talk to God about God when you pray. Instead of generic prayers, acknowledge who He is:

• "God, I thank you for your mercy and grace"
• "I thank you that you are peace and everlasting love"
• "You have power to solve every problem"
• "You're able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all I ask or think"
• "You're the Alpha and Omega, the great I AM"
• "You're a healer, you're merciful, you're gracious"

When you know God personally, you can tell Him what you know about Him based on your experience with Him. You can say, "God, I know you because you've healed my family, answered my prayers, and been faithful in the past."

Life Application

This week, challenge yourself to move beyond a kindergarten faith. Start building a deeper, more personal relationship with Jesus. Begin each prayer by acknowledging who God is to you personally, not just who He is in general. Spend time getting to know Him through His Word and through honest conversation in prayer.

Ask yourself these questions:

• How do I currently see Jesus—as a distant figure, a friend, or my personal Lord and Savior?
• What's keeping me from developing a deeper relationship with God?
• How can I begin talking to God with more intimacy and authority this week?
• What areas of my life need God's touch, and am I willing to trust Him with them?

God doesn't want you to know Him as someone else's God. He wants to be YOUR God, YOUR King, YOUR Savior. The relationship is available—the question is whether you're ready to step into it.